Tokyo (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam delivered a policy address to the National Diet of Japan on November 9 afternoon (local time), as part of his ongoing official visit to Japan.
General Secretary and President Lam said he is glad to return to Japan for the first time in his new role and feels more deeply the value and historical depth of Vietnam–Japan ties. Fifty-three years of diplomatic ties and exchanges dating back centuries have built an invaluable foundation between the two peoples.
He valued the Japanese Government, National Diet, businesses, experts and people for their contributions to Vietnam’s development, saying that Japan has helped Vietnam overcome war aftermath, care for those in difficulty and respond to disasters, from demining, rehabilitation and vocational training for Agent Orange victims to health care and support after storms and floods.
"Vietnam always remembers the heartfelt sharing of the Japanese Government and people," he said, adding that Japan is Vietnam’s largest official development assistance (ODA) donor and one of its top partners in investment, trade and labour cooperation.
On that back of friendship and special trust, he said Vietnam wants to accompany Japan on the new development path, so each country’s growth creates more opportunities for the other, delivers practical benefits and contributes to regional peace, stability and prosperity. The support of Japan's National Diet is important to the long-term cooperation pursued by the two countries.
As the world is going through epochal change, Vietnam sees science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as key drivers of its new growth stage, and Japan has a very important position in that process, he said.
On the road ahead, he proposed jointly building new development capacity on knowledge, technology and innovation. Vietnam wants sustainable links among leaders, universities, research institutes and businesses so ideas can be tested, refined and put into practice, he said.
Stressing resilience, adaptability and green, sustainable growth, he said Vietnam wants to work with Japan on diverse, transparent and adaptable supply chains in a spirit of open cooperation and compliance with international commitments.
At the regional level, Vietnam wants to partner with Japan to protect the rules-based multilateral trading system, make the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) work effectively and strengthen economic linkages. Toward the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week 2027, Vietnam hopes for Japan’s cooperation in substantive initiatives on growth, innovation and the involvement of citizens and businesses in development opportunities, he said.
On regional peace and stability, the top leader said Vietnam values Japan Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s announcement of updated orientations to the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision in Hanoi last May, and hails Japan’s emphasis on resilience and each country’s ability to decide its own future. Those orientations open more room for both countries to bolster self-reliance, create growth momentum and adapt to changing circumstances.
"Vietnam is ready to work with Japan to propose and implement cooperation activities meeting the region’s common priorities, and wants each step in bilateral ties to create more development opportunities for both peoples and help consolidate a peaceful, open region where all countries are respected and benefit from cooperation," he said.
He went on to say that Vietnam wishes to work alongside countries around the world to ensure a peaceful, stable, secure, cooperative and equitable Indo-Pacific region, with freedom of navigation, and a space for humanity to live and prosper.
Putting people at the centre and deepening links between the two societies, the guest said he wants the Vietnamese community to keep complying with the law, respecting local culture, studying and working hard and contributing to Japanese society, and asked Japanese agencies, localities and firms to keep creating favourable conditions for the community to integrate and thrive.
He suggested turning general orientations into concrete results with the partnership of the two legislatures, adding that the two legislative bodies should keep supporting cooperation orientations through legislation, oversight and policy exchanges; expand exchanges between legislative agencies, friendly parliamentarian groups, young and female lawmakers; and share experience in new development issues, from the digital economy to green transition and social policy. Through parliamentary dialogue, difficulties in following bilateral agreements should be flagged and proposed for timely handling within competence.
The Vietnamese leader said he is confident that with the legislatures, Governments and people of both countries alongside, Vietnam and Japan will keep nurturing friendship through concrete cooperation results. The two sides are heading toward a future in which Vietnam’s development opens more opportunities for Japan and Japan’s development keeps contributing to Vietnam’s success. The fruits will show in a better life for people and in common contributions to peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
In his welcoming remarks earlier, Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Mori Eisuke said Japan’s National Diet speaks highly of Vietnam’s outstanding socio-economic gains in recent years and its rising role and standing in the region and globally.
He expressed confidence that Vietnam will successfully host APEC Year 2027, affirming its standing, prestige and positive contributions in Asia-Pacific’s leading economic cooperation mechanism.
Later, President of the Japanese House of Councillors Sekiguchi Masakazu thanked the Vietnamese guest for sharing profound views and a future vision grounded in bilateral ties and the current situation.
He said on the basis of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam and Japan have steadily deepened cooperation across politics, economy, culture and people-to-people exchange. This Japan visit is extremely important for bilateral ties.
He said Vietnam and Japan have a long history of exchange. In the past, the “Maritime Silk Road” brought many beautiful silk products to Japan. Over the past years, the two countries have carefully spun threads of friendship, woven through many layers, so that relations today are a “silk cloth of friendship” that is both durable and beautiful.
With the world growing more complex, Sekiguchi said he is confident that working and moving forward together, the two countries can steadily overcome difficulties, spin another new thread and weave another solid step into the “silk cloth of friendship”./.
